Bloomberg: U.S. to Blacklist Up to 5 Chinese Surveillance Firms

While trade dispute is at its top, media reports revealed that U.S. is considering cutting off the flow of vital American technology to as many as five Chinese companies including Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co.

“The U.S. is deliberating whether to add Hikvision, Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. and several unidentified others to a blacklist that bars them from U.S. components or software,” Bloomberg quoted familiar sources.

Officially, the Trump administration is concerned about their role in helping Beijing repress minority Uighurs in China’s west, they said, asking not to be identified talking about private deliberations. There’s concern also that Hikvision’s or Dahua’s cameras, which come with facial recognition capabilities, could be employed in espionage, the people said.

However, according to  Bloomberg, such a move would escalate tensions with China and raises questions about whether the U.S. is going after more of the country’s corporate champions. Trump’s administration last week barred Huawei Technologies Co. from American technology, a move that pummeled shares in U.S. chipmakers from Qualcomm Inc. to Intel Corp., and threatens to dampen global economic growth and disrupt the rollout of critical next-generation wireless networks.

The latest threat will elevate fears in Beijing that President Donald Trump’s ultimate goal is to contain China, triggering a cold war between the world’s biggest economies. In addition to a trade fight that’s rattled global markets, Washington has pressured allies and foes alike to avoid using Huawei for fifth-generation networks that will power everything from self-driving cars to robot surgery, forming the backbone of a modern economy.